The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1887-01-13
AN EPITOME OF THE HISTORY
OF DALLAS AND DIAL
LAS COUNTY.
by JOHN HENRY BROWN.

BILE 10 do more than give it in brief
since it has grown so rapidly and
beyond the limit where n full and
comprehensive history can be given
in one issue of Il newspaper. The
endeavor will be to pick up the links
rs the account proceeds so that il
will be comprehensive at least
The Three Forks of the
Trinity" was the designation
in the earlier American days
of Texas by which this position OF
the wilderness was known. 1t con-
tinued in its primeval state-un-
touched by axe. hoe or plow-for
twenty-one years after settlements
began in the lower and coast country
under the colonization laws of Next
CO. Not till 1871 did Americanism
feebly essay a foothold in all this
populous region. In that year, or
late IN 1910, a company of rangers,
under Capt. Bird, of Red River Co.,
erected the block of houses known as
Birds Fort, on the north side of the
Trinity, in Tarrant Co. But they
were three months men, and only re-
NAMED short time.
Not long before this, in 1910, II
small detachment, led by Robt
Sloan, of n company Of "minute'
men in Red River Co., made n hasty
scout throush this country, and while
here one of the men named David
Chubb, formerly of Illinois and Il sol
dier in the Black Hawk war of 1882,
was killed by Indians at small lake
on the Elm Fork of Trinity, a short
distance above its mouth and below
the Keenan, crossing 1t has been
enormously said that this mans name
was Samuel Chubb and that he was
killed on the east side of
White Rock Creek. Sloan
was not the captain of the Red River
company; but leader of one of the
squads into which it was divided for
alternate scouting purposes.
In the fall of 1871 the families Of
Hamp Rattan and Mr.. Gilbert, with Il
few men, reached Birds Fort, and Il
little later the fam ly of John Bee
man. The two latter moved down to
where Dallas is in the succeeding
spring of 1912. But late in Novem-
Der, 1871, wagon was sent back to
Red River for provisions. 1t stayed
so long that three men were sent to
find and assist it if necessary. These
men were Alex. w. Webb, (yet living
near Mesqu te, in Dallas county,)
Solomon Silkwood and Hamp Rattan
On the east side of Elm Fork, about
a mile and a half northwest of where
Carrollton is, while cutting down a
large ash tree to get the honey found
TO be in it, and on Christmas day,
lS41, Rattan was killed by small
party of Indians. Webb and Silk
wood killed one Indian and escaped
to reach the fort. The snow was
six inches deep. 1t was intensely
cold, and so remained for several
days. SillSwood, from the exposure
endured, sickened and died. A sim
gle man was again started to meet
the relief wagon. He succeeded.
On the 10th, five days after the kill
ing, the wagon reached the scene.
The body of Rattan was still guarded
by his faithful dog. The remains
were conveyed TO the fort, and there,
in a rude coffin made of anold wagon
body, committed to the earth. His
brothers, John and Littleton Rattan,
had been in the fight of Village
Creek, in the previous May or June,
when Denton was killed. He was
also brother of Mrs. A. j. Witt,
deceased. of Dallas county, and Mrs.
J. w. TLrockmorton and Mrs. VIM.
Fitzhugh, of Collin.
Concurrent with these events,
John Nicely Bryan, single man, in
November, 1871, camped on the
bank of the Trinity at the foot of
Main street. He was joined the next
spring by those mentioned as coming
down from Birds Fort, and later in
the year by James j. Beeman, and
perhaps one or two other families
coming down from Red River or
Bowie county. Mr. Bryan subse-
quently married John Beemans
4, 1870 oovarol fau;l;oo